Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-09-08

savagery was conspicuous by its absence
The illustrated journals took the cue, and
the wife of Ouray became libled through.
out the breadth of the land by the pencils
of special artists" She was the rage
\ for the season she was in Washington
and the spistolary correspondence from
attaches of the English legation to the
court journals at London referred to her
as mountain princess and bespoke
| for her a hearty reception from the peer
| age of England should she visit that
country, which she at that time actually
contemplated.
| As souvenirs of her visit to Washing
ton, Chipeta carried away with her ouan
titles OF silver plate, a portion of which
was presented to her by the government
through the interior department.
| Shortly after his visit to Washington,
and the consumation of the treaty Ouray
died. He was sincerity mourued by his
people and as an indication of their
grief and in conformity with long estab-
lished custom, the horses of the dead
man were led up to The grave and one by
one shot. All that was yaluablei in earth
ly existsnce was to accompany him to
the happy hunting ground of his race
al but Chipeta, and she too, would pro
baby have accompany her liege lord had
she lived couple of centuries ago. As
1t was, the custom of her tribe by the
greatness of her exal .ed position con
dsmned her to life of perpetual widow.
hood. Any deviation from this unwrit
ten Law would dlaw down upon her head
the malldictions of the entire nation, and
she would become an outcast, pariah
among her people.
But Chipeta had q will of her own.
She had tasted of the privileges which
her Caucasian sister enjoyed, and when
the opportunity occurred to marry Too
muchi-gut, a handsom buck, she did so,
not storping to consider the great fall
thereby in the social scale. As migba
have been expected, the head men of the
nation, with unanimity and decision,
condemned both she and her husband N
ostracism. They had both violated a
sacred law of social government, and
they must suffer. With her new alliance
she turned her back upen civilized life
IL every form. Her stock was taken
from her ana reverse followed reverse till
she was absolutely forced beyond the line
of tribal kinship, and she with her hus.
band became a wanderer. Her silks and
satins were discarded, and even her plate
was melted down to make gew gews for
her husbands friends.
This doubtless was hurried by the I'm
fortunate mistake which she had made in
locating ranch on the new reservation.
Ii was an excellent site. There was
plenty Of water, and Buffalo, mesquit and
gramma grasses gave nourisnment TO the
stock. When the lines were made divid-
ing Utah from Colorado it was found
that Chipeta's ranch was on the wrong
side of the line, and not in the reserva-
ton. 1t became therefore legitimate
plumber for the settlers. who lost no
time in dividing the spot.
Like the renegade OF her tribe, Chipeta
in her wanderings tended to the White
river country. There at least she would
be welcomed and some respect paid to
her fallen greatness. She and her kus-
band joined Colorow, and are now with
him environed by the military forces
which the government dispatched for
the protection of the settlers Of Garfield
county.
Telegraphic advices say that some APP
prehension is felt for Chipetas safety.
She was in one of the tente which was
fred by Sheriff Kendal's party on their
first visit to the Indian camp, and she
has not been seen since. 1t IS not VI all
likely that she has been harmed; she has
been compelled to practically take to
the bushes.
What must be her thoughtsf When the
wife of "the white mans friend" she
aided him in his endeavors TO prevent
depredations on the whites by the frey
young bucks whom tradition had taught
to hate white men. Now she is hunted
ike a wolf by the palefsces whom she
once rekoned as friends.
Chipeta is growing old. She must be
in the neighborhood Of fifty. Colorow
was once her enemy rs he was once the
enemy of the peace loving Ouray; but
when aer white friends turned MI her
she sought straights in life where she
could find friends. II is not now beliey-
ed that she entsrtains a war-like spirit
towards the whites, bnt being with Colo
row she is in bad company.
Onco the queen of the nation, she is
now leading the life of common squaw.